opiate induced hypertension?

[lvm6]

hi i;m sorry if i'm intruding on your community as i am not a drug misuser. i have been presribed 10 mg oxycontin per day and 5 mg oxycodone for breakthrough pain for the past few years from my pain management doctor. i also take topamax for migraines. i take only one 10 mg pill per day and between 1-3 oxycodone per day depending on my pain levels. (i have multiple sclerosis and fibromyalgia)

anyway, lately i have been experiencing something i find strange. my headaches are suddenly out of control to the point whre my head feels like its going to crack. my blood pressure is okay but after taking the medicine my bp will go up too. not sure if its the headache increasing the BP or the BP causing the headache. all i know is that the head pain is not there until i take my pain medicine!  i dont understand why this is. my pain doc was sick this month so i did not get to see him. i wont get to see him for another 3 weeks or so. i just wondered if they changed something in the formula that might be bothering me? or has anyone else had this happen to them?

[kimnj]

I have this same reaction to all opiates and it is NOT our imaginations. I USED TO have the typical BP-dropping reaction, now I feel the opposite effect. Perhaps it's a learned response due to opiate tolerance -- our bodies are going into overdrive trying to counter the BP-drop and we produce excessive vasopressin or something as a learned response to the BP drop. I feel intense pressure and pain in my neck and head, get a headache, feel like a weight is on my chest - can't breathe, stop breathing in my sleep, etc. It's horrible but my withdrawals are extreme so I don't know what to do :( . This started when my body started rejecting methadone and going into a withdrawal whenever I dosed with methadone. I had to be in withdrawal a few weeks -- didn't take anything at all for a full week or more -- before my body would accept a stronger opiate to end the withdrawals, but my body still rejects methadone! Well I accidentally swallowed some methadone 2 days ago and wouldn't you know it, this partial-rejection reaction is back where I get the increased BP and pressure and pain and headaches and heart arrhythmia. It's very real, and I know this post is very old, but I wanted to validate that you're not alone. It's best that you tapered off of it because your body is rejecting the opiates, like mine did suddenly after 2 years.

[Mom309]

the opiates are not what are causing you to have elevated bp......If anything they will lower your bp. If you have had heart problems in the past I would say it is something related to that.....You should keep a time log of your bp's check it 3 x throughout the day and take it to your next dr visit......How often do they check your liver enzymes it should be every year or sooner with these strong opiates you have been taking and esp. for this long......I hope they start to subside for you...I have worked as a cardio nurse for about 2 years now and I know alot about high bp,low bp, and heart conditions......keep us utd on your progress.......Thanks.

[lvm6]

ok, i decided i'm going to taper myself down. i have enough fives of the oxycodone so this should be no problem. i have to take this into my own hands just until i see the doctor. the headaches are so unbearable, they leave me crying and it actually feels like my head is cracking. it is way worse than the pain that i take the meds for in the first place so that is how i have weighed my options. this is MY body and i need to do what i need to do to keep myself from having another heart attack. whether its the blood pressure causing the headache or the headache causing the high blood pressure...either way i need to keep that from happening.

someone on another board said they have stopped producing GENERIC oxycontin...well maybe my pharmacy had a heavy supply and just recently ran out thus switching me to the brand name oxycontin without me realizing it? i have been with this pain doc and taking this med 8 YEARS and suddenly it is affecting me this way? to those that say its NOT the oxycontin...well i paid close attention for 2 days and was headache free until about a half hour after i took the medicine. once the headache is there, it takes HOURS to get rid of (let alone lowering the high blood pressure that comes along with it.)

thanks to those who took the time to read and answer. have a nice day.

[lvm6]

no i am not out of meds, they got delivered as usual. i just didnt get to see the doc to tell him about this new thing going on. now i am scared to death to take them because i dont have the headache until after i;ve taken them.

[mellie4]

Hi.  You may want to check out the pain management forum here, too; you might get some good answers over there.

Usually pain itself will increase blood pressure and pain medications can cause blood pressure to drop.  Blood pressure doesn't usually cause headaches unless it's off-the-charts hight; it's been referred to as "the silent killer."  But you may be having a side effect from the medications that's causing your headaches.  Of course, you could be having an atypical reaction to the meds and they could be causing your BP to go up.

You need to see your doctor right away.  If you can't get in to see him early, maybe you can see someone else in the practice or at least talk to one of the doctors or nurse practitioners on the phone. I definitely wouldn't wait three weeks on this.

[Rhirhi87]

You mention that you missed your Dr. Appt, are you out of meds?

[avisg]

I would get it checked out right away .I dont thinking taking your meds would be raising your BP ...I would get into see the doctor as soon as you can .